Letters

Wednesday

Nov 25, 2009 at 12:01 AMNov 25, 2009 at 5:01 PM

There is a growing frustration with the Parkway Little League says one letter writer...

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Letters to the editor

The Roslindale/West Roxbury Transcript

254 Second Ave.

Needham, MA 02494

Frustration with Parkway Little League

To the editor:

Rumors have indicated that a vote that was supposed to occur this evening (Monday, Nov. 16) has been cancelled. I was anticipating going to the meeting tonight with my ballot and voting. No one had the courtesy of informing me that my scheduled voting tonight was fruitless and the meeting is off.

Rumors indicate that the leaders of Parkway Little League have taken the first step to leave Little League International for the Cal Ripken League. Someone has decided that after 57 years affiliated with Little League, it is time to move on. I pray this is not true.

The Parkway Little League was begun the year I was born — 1952. My brother, Bill Keough, played on the first team and as of the 50th anniversary still held the highest batting average ever at PLL (according to a PLL booklet put out for the anniversary). My brother, Bob Keough, and I played on various Little League teams. All three Keough boys had great memories of the Little League program and went on to play at BC High and/or college.

I have four children age 15, 12, 10 and 6, and all have participated at PLL. My two youngest children are still in PLL.

My 10-year-old went to Major League tryouts (for the first time in his life) and was told he would hear within a couple of weeks if he made a team. It has been two months now, and no one has had the courtesy of telling my son that no one knows whether he made a team because the adults cannot get their act together. Someone should have told every kid that they should not think they didn’t make a team because they haven’t heard by now. These kids shouldn’t feel bad — the adults should feel bad for delaying the “draft.”

My 6-year-old played T-ball last year and wants to move up to an Instructional Team with her friends. Can someone tell her or her parents if this is going to happen? You took the registration and the money; you should keep the system as it has been for the past 57 years.

I have assisted as a team parent. I have completed CORI and SORI forms. I have paid my dues. I am an eligible voter, according to Little League rules.

I have heard lots of “inside” stories of those who run the PLL and have tried to ignore listening to — let alone participating — in the power plays of the adults.

I am disappointed that the current leaders of PLL cannot comply with the rules of Little League and let the kids have fun. Drafting kids and not playing them and “protecting” them is pure adult fantasy. It is and has been illegal of International LL rules. If a child is drafted, he should play on that team. A child should never have to stay on a Minor League team because some Major League coach says he is “protected.” Waivers to protect illegal decisions of the past should not be requested nor granted. PLL should comply with International LL rules — period!

It is time to return sanity to the baseball program. Let the children just play.

As someone who has participated in or watched PLL for 57 years, I beg of you — on the board — not to screw things up. If you don’t have kids in PLL, give it up. If you don’t like the International LL rules, go join another program or simply get out of youth baseball.

Please don’t destroy the PLL program and withdraw from International LL.

Run an election before making changes to a program of 57 years. Let people know what the issues are before the vote.

If anyone else feels that the Parkway Little League Program should continue and not be cancelled, please speak up. If you think that Parkway Little League should comply with the rules of International Little League, please speak up. It is time for those who think Little League is a great program to do something. Do not let anyone who doesn’t like the rules to take their bat and ball and go home. This is absurd. The majority of the current board does not have children in the program. They should not be allowed to eliminate the program because they cannot set the rules the way they want. There are thousands of Little League programs throughout the world, and millions of children have had fun for more than half a century. This is not the time for a few people to take their bat and ball and go home.

Paul G. Keough

West Roxbury

Voting for Coakley

To the editor:

Years ago, my father told me about this nice woman in Dorchester who would escort an elderly woman to church service every Sunday. He said the woman really cared about the elderly and the community and how you don’t see people do things like that any more. The nice woman he was talking about was Martha Coakley. Martha was not looking for someone to say “what a nice thing to do,” she did it because Martha is a nice person and it was the right thing to do. She did it because she cares about people. We need more people who care about other people.

My dad has traveled all over the world and met countless people, and he said she was one of the finest people he has ever met.

Martha has been referred to as the “accidental politician” because she left lucrative private law to become a Middlesex Assistant DA. As she said years ago in an interview, “I wanted to do something that I cared about ... I’m now doing jobs that I have to run for. But the politics to me is a means to an end.”

After countless awards from volunteer organizations like MADD and YMCA and being on the board at Dana-Farber Institute because it was the right thing to do, Martha is running for U.S. Senate, a position in which she can represent the communities she has been a caring and participating member.

She is an excellent leader with a good heart. Vote for Martha Coakley on Dec. 8 in the Democratic Primary.

Kristen Parlon

West Roxbury

Thank you from Roslindale Day Parade Committee

To the editor:

The Roslindale Day Parade Committee would like to thank all of those who contributed to the success of our recent 34th annual Roslindale Day Parade. We thank Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events, Office of Neighborhood Services, Captain James Hasson, Sgt. Kenny Jameson and the Area E-5 Police, BPD Field Services, Boston Fire Department, Boston Public Works Department, Boston Transportation Department, Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Boston Emergency Medical Services Department.

Congratulations are due to this year’s Grand Marshal Carter Wilkie, president of Roslindale Village Main Street. We also thank 2009 Mayor of Roslindale Contest candidates Joseph Wells and Heather Watkins and all of those who donated to their campaigns. Special thanks to parade photographers Roseanne and Renee Williams. We credit the Roslindale Transcript, PDM Associates — Roslindale Shopper, the Boston City Paper, Neighborhood Photo News and Sean Folan for helping to publicize the parade. Special thanks also go to the Knights of Columbus — J.J. Williams Council, Parkway Towing, Bob Godino and his crew from BNN, ABCD South Side Head Start, Governor’s Councilor Kelly Timilty and Rogerson Communities — Longfellow House.

The parade could not run without the dedicated work of our Parade Committee members, including Marylou Angelo, Parade Coordinator Leo Connell, Webmaster Dan Farnkoff, Jim Kennedy, Matt O’Malley and Nicole Vitello. Thanks also to the other volunteers who helped on parade day or who assisted us during the year, including Jack Cooper, Joe Mangiacotti, Kelly McDonald, Wayne Martin, Christine O’Malley, Cynthia Johnson and the staff from the Roslindale and Archdale Community Centers, staff from Brookline Bank, Mike Segal and City Year Boston.

Most importantly, the Parade Committee thanks the participating groups for all of their hard work in assembling their marchers, decorating their vehicles and floats and crafting beautiful displays. Awards will be presented at our annual dinner in the spring.

Please mark your calendar for Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, for our 35th Anniversary Roslindale Day Parade. The Parade Committee needs new members and volunteers to help out and we welcome anybody who wants to get involved. For more information, please call the Parade Committee at 617-327-4886, write to us at P.O. Box 324, Roslindale, MA 02131-0003 or e-mail to roslindaleparade@aol.com. Please visit our website, www.roslindaleparade.org, for photos and the latest news about the parade throughout the year.

Thomas M. Donahue

The Roslindale Day Parade Committee

Kiwanis appreciates Parkway generosity

To the editor:

Recently, the West Roxbury/Roslindale Kiwanis Club held its 22nd annual Auction at the West Roxbury Elks Club. The response, especially in difficult economic times, was overwhelming. The club netted over $12,000 for children’s charities.

As Kiwanis president, I would like to thank everyone involved — from our members who worked so hard to put the event together, to the local business community who advertised in our program and donated so many wonderful prizes, to Parkway area residents who filled the hall and purchased raffle tickets and auction items.

In this limited space, I will not be able to list all the companies and individuals who made the event a success, but I do want to send a special thank you to Sky Restaurant of Norwood, DeNo’s of West Roxbury and IScream Works of West Roxbury for donating food and beverage for the event. I would also like to thank Joe Portalecki of Roslindale Hardware for serving as our guest auctioneer for the 22nd consecutive year.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute at New England Medical Center, the Joseph P. Sullivan Scholarship Fund, the Juvenile Diabetes Association, the West Roxbury/Roslindale YMCA and other worthy organizations that directly serve the interests of children.

On behalf of the West Roxbury/Roslindale Kiwanis Club, I commend the community for its generosity and I look forward seeing everyone at next year’s auction.